Chemostratigraphy applied at a reservoir scale: North Africa

Figure 1 depicts the geochemistry for both sands and clays through a reservoir section of braided channel sand deposits with over bank/lacustrine mudstones. The major control on the chemical variations is the variations in lithology (i.e. the sands have higher Si than the mudstones). However a systematic upward increase in the K is noted and related to changes in Kfeldspar and illite/mica contents. Also changes in the Ti concentrations in both the sands and clays are noted half way up the sequence. So there are real variations in the geochemistry outside the influence of grain size that relate to changes in provenance. These variations can be used as an accurate means of correlation. Also a high volcanogenic input (high Ti conc.) is present in the basal samples, which also provided another reliable means of correlation.

The sandstone samples were separated from the claystone samples and used independently to help determine reservoir compartment connectivity. From the figures above and below the clear changes in the K and Ti concentrations can be seen. For instance the basal sands are characterized by their high Ti and Rb/K ratios differentiating them from the middle (pink) sands. This framework was extended over many wells as outlined below and help compartmentalize the reservoir where other stratigraphic techniques such as bio-stratigraphy had proven problematical in the continental setting.

Besides being used as a correlation tool chemostratigraphy can yield valuable geological information on facies and provenance. Provenance and facies determination from chemostratigraphic data The figure below demonstrates the changing provenance for the reservoir sequence. The basal section is characterized by sand bodies with high volcanogenic contents coupled with low K-feldspar contents. These are reflected in the high Ti and low K concentrations respectively. The upper sands are characterized by an increase in the K-feldspar contents and a Zr increase representing a change in provenance from the lower sands. This change in provenance has implications of reservoir quality in terms of porosity and permeability.

The chemostratigraphic data can also be used to interpret facies variations that may have occurred. In this sequence there is an overall increase in lacustrine facies upwards, this is reflected in the increase of K and Sc/Sr ratio and a decrease in the La/al ratio. The Al(Ca+Mg+K+Na) ratio can be used to determine the intensity of weathering, this is high in the lower section with palaeosol development and obviously less in the lacustrine facies.